Sneaker News Top 30 Sneakers of 2011

There is no doubt that Bo Jackson is one of the best known Nike endorsers in the brand’s history, and when we think back on his most identifiable sneakers from the Nike Training line, the obvious images that spring to mind are the ‘Chlorophyll’ Air Trainer 1, the ‘Auburn’ Trainer SC High and even the ‘Medicine Ball’ Air Trainer III. However, when you reminisce on Nike’s most iconic Bo Jackson ad campaign, the classic “Bo Knows” spot with Bo Diddley and an all-star squad of Nike athletes, the shoe that was featured on Bo’s feet was none other than the Air Trainer SC II, a shoe that had somehow slipped into obscurity in both the Nike archives and in the hearts and minds of those who fondly remember the shoe and the glory days that it now represents. Most of the high-profile yearly Trainer releases from the late 80′s and early 90′s have long been re-released in a number of colorways over the years, but it wasn’t until this past year that the design marvel known as the Air Trainer SC II High finally made its long-awaited retro return.

Equipped with an unmistakable aesthetic from the hey-day of Tinker’s early reign, the Trainer SC II improved upon its predecessors with a removable forefoot strap for further stability and

an interior ankle collar that created a double layer of cushioning and support in the heel and ankle. The idea was that no matter what sport you were playing or training for, the SC II High (SC = Strength Conditioning) was the premiere all-purpose athletic sneaker at the time, a concept illustrated in the famous commercial where Bo is seen playing (and “knowing”) a variety of different sports. While technology and advancements in performance have improved on the original Nike Training blueprint, there have been few sneakers since that have balanced the same high level of form, function and fun.

In 2011, Nike finally brought us the return of this super-fresh blast from the past, choosing to first release the shoe in a number of new colorways before serving up the main course with the quickstrike launch of the two OG editions in September. While several of the initial 2011 releases felt like a nice throwback to the shoe’s maiden run, there is nothing quite like the original color schemes to both stir up nostalgia for those who had been patiently waiting and to school the younger generation to a true forgotten gem. At this point, the Nike arsenal has been mined pretty thoroughly, and though there are still plenty of shoes that have never been retroed, there aren’t too many prizes of this magnitude left that are yet to have been given a second life.